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When it comes to load balancers you have probably heard terms such as, "Software Defined Hardware" (yes, they actually said that!) or "Software First" from vendors like F5 Networks and Citrix NetScaler. What they are really telling you is that they understand the importance of software, but need to keep selling you hardware.

Software load balancers are making a big splash in recent times driven by developer-centric and application-led initiatives. Adding to this growing space of excitement is the up and coming Avi Networks (a Gartner Cool Vendor in Enterprise Networking 2016) which makes load balancers cool again!

A minor change control has been approved, impacting only a small section of the network. However, the change is performed on shared network infrastructure such as firewalls or load balancers. Now comes implementation time, which is the ideal time for application usage but miserable for operators that value their weekends or evenings. Preparation is everything, the appropriate IT staff is on hand to conduct the change and the right business validators set to ensure success. Nothing unusual here and then…BAM! Something goes wrong. The NOC is inundated with calls and management system is lighting up like a Christmas tree.

It’s been two weeks (since I joined Avi) or four Silicon Valley weeks! And if you imagine a proverbial “firehose”, I think it is safe to say Avi unleashes at least 10x more! So yes, these two weeks have been like a whirlwind for me.

I’m pretty certain that whoever first uttered the phrase “anything easy isn't worth having” was no IT administrator. This certainty derives from the seemingly path-of-least-resistance attitude that many enterprises hold when it comes to enforcing stringent levels of encryption security for public infrastructure including their websites. We’ve previously blogged on the excuses many enterprises make for their lax encryption practices, but it’s worth examining what I believe is the primary culprit for this: lack of visibility and insights into their security profiles.

With any disruptive innovation, there will always be innovators and early adopters who eagerly jump on the bandwagon. Today, we’re seeing more and more businesses move to the cloud as users take advantage of its utility-based model and associated economic benefits. So why isn’t everyone “crossing the chasm” and what will it take to persuade the late majority and laggards to move to the cloud?

There is no doubt that on-demand cloud services are gaining ground among corporate users of all sizes. Despite the obvious promises of greater flexibility and efficiency, the transition to cloud is incomplete until we can solve a few thorny issues.